Pseudo Master
Everyone but Wasp, the Captain and the dying seaman had cleared the room. Shadyss was still covered in blood after ripping that seaman's head off, but she couldn't care less as she placed her forefinger on the dying seaman's forehead before reciting an incantation. The tip of her finger produced a faint green light that engulfed his body, glowing brighter at the back of his neck for a moment before fading.
The Captain watched in awe as his man gasped for air. "Can you heal the others too," he said.
"They'll live," Shadyss said, glaring at him as she got back on her feet.
"Get up and pull your pants up," Wasp said.
The Captain was feeble on his feet as he complied, fixing his pants with quivering fingers.
"Please toss the corpse into the sea Shadyss," Wasp said, "and use your spell to clean all this blood off yourself. And you," she glared at the Captain, "fetch a bucket, a mop, and clean this floor."
Wasp bobbed her head in wonder as Shadyss tossed the corpse far out like it was a small pebble. "Would your cleansing spell work on this floor as well?"
"Yes, it would, Mistress," Shadyss said.
"Good to know!" Wasp said with a grin. "It makes this an even bigger punishment knowing that it could be cleaned in an instant with your magic. Get to work Captain!"
The Captain hurried out of the room, grumbling under his beard.
Wasp got dressed and sat on the chair behind the Captain's desk. "So... what happened exactly?" She said. "What did the demon do with my body?"
"Nothing much actually," Shadyss said. "It woke up, pushed me off and was about to unsummon me when the Captain and his men rushed in to attack. They paid the price, but I was able to examine you in the process. It's not a demon. It's a malevolent spirit stuck in that figurine." Shadyss pointed at the King on the desk.
"I had this with me for years," Wasp said, staring at it. "Why did it start only after I went to that ruin?"
"A spirit from the ruin must have connected to it somehow," Shadyss said. "It was able to possess you afterwards. Fear seems to chase it out of you, and it would possess you again after regaining enough strength."
"How can I get rid of that?"
"Leave it behind or destroy it, but both solutions may have some drawbacks."
"What kind of drawbacks?" Wasp reached for the piece.
"I wouldn't touch it," Shadyss said.
"Okay then," Wasp said. "Destroy it now!"
Shadyss wasn't sure this solution was the right one, but as she considered arguing that order, the searing pain reflected in her hesitation. She'd only need a moment to question the order, but the figurine was right there on the desk and the 'now' of that order forced her to smash it before Wasp could change her mind.
"Wait-" Wasp said too late.
Shadyss stared idiotically at her Mistress, placing the figurine back together but the pieces didn't hold.
Wasp inhaled deeply as she clutched the Tablet in her hand. "Shadyss-MikaellaΓ―nalla!"
*
'Damn it! The spirit took her and probably won't leave her body again, unless she gets terrified or raped again. But she ordered me not to try curing her. Will this order stay in effect for the next time she summons me? I still have much to learn about this damn Tablet.'
*
Shadyss materialized next to Wasp and a luxuriously dressed nobleman. They were standing on a huge carpet in a large room with four marble pillars supporting the twenty-foot-high ceiling. Fancy fabrics, not unlike the carpet, hung from ceiling to floor, displaying skilled needlework and the furniture reflected just as much luxury. Wasp had her hand on a leather bag with her finger discretely touching the Tablet inside and she was wearing her usual outfit.
"What are your orders?" Shadyss said, bowing to Wasp.
'I'm still small,'
she thought.
'I guess I come out of that Tablet the same way I went in... or maybe only in size.'
"Stay and be silent for now," Wasp said.
Shadyss nodded.
The man grinned widely as he looked at Shadyss. "A-Ma-Zing," the nobleman said, rubbing his hands enthusiastically.
"Half now the rest after," Wasp said, showing her palm.
The nobleman snapped his fingers and a man servant came running from around the corner. He was wearing nothing more than a white loincloth and carried a small chest that contained a handful of diamonds.
Wasp pulled a small pouch from her pocket and opened it to transfer the diamonds. "Shadyss is yours to command until noon tomorrow," she said with a grin. "You can do as you please with her during that time." Wasp turned to face Shadyss. "I order you to obey every command this man gives to you unless that command may directly or indirectly cause me harm, or unless it would reveal anything about the means I used to summon you."
"As you wish Mistress," Shadyss said.
"If this goes well girl," the nobleman said. "I'll make you rich in no time."
"I look forward to it," Wasp said with a bright smile. "Shadyss will disappear tomorrow at noon."
Wasp walked out of the room as the nobleman kept staring at Shadyss in awe for several moments.
"Hi," he said, his cheek turning red.
Shadyss stared blankly at him.
'He better words his commands carefully,'
she thought.
'I don't feel very obedient right now. I wasn't ordered not to harm him either.'
She contemplated the idea of ripping his head off.
'I'm curious to see where this will go though.'
"Please to meet you Shadyss."
She didn't react.
The nobleman growled briefly. "I command you to answer all my questions truthfully from now on and not wait for my command!" He circled around to examine her. "What can you do?"
Shadyss raised a brow. As much as she wanted to answer, the question was so vague she didn't feel any pain for not answering right away. "I can walk," she said after a moment. "I can talk, and I can laugh or scream. I can pull my tongue out and-"
"Okay, okay! Enough!" He said, sighing deeply. "I want to know your powers."
"What's your name," Shadyss said.
"I'm Paolus the third," he said, strengthening up proudly.
"Yeah, well, Mr.Turd-"
"Not turd! Third!" the man said blowing through his tongue and glaring at her.
"Yeah, whatever," Shadyss said, chuckling as she realized this relationship was far less binding then the one with her true Mistress.